


Build Me Up, Buttercup

by ItsaMePatches



Category: VeggieTales
Genre: F/M, Fan Characters, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Other, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 20:35:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11260503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsaMePatches/pseuds/ItsaMePatches
Summary: “Cynthia” was a name that was said quite often from Lunt as soon as he apparently laid eyes on her at a coffee shop he frequently visited on his way to work (twice if it was early or he had to stay at the restaurant long). Dang, Nezzer could tell right away while Lunt described the woman in question the first time he met her to him...that he was struck by infatuation.





	Build Me Up, Buttercup

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: A lot of sighing is present. :B

         “Cynthia” was a name that was said quite often from Lunt as soon as he apparently laid eyes on her at a coffee shop he frequently visited on his way to work (twice if it was early or he had to stay at the restaurant long). Dang, Nezzer could tell right away while Lunt described the woman in question the first time he met her to him...that he was struck by infatuation; although Lunt tried waving it off with a shrug and the glance of his eyes going off to the side.

         “Nah, I just think she’s great is all,” he said.

         Nezzer quirked his brow at the short man who went back to flipping pancakes over the large black stove. “Uh-huh? Great how?”

         Considering how quiet Lunt became (talk about uncharacteristic!) after that inquiry, Nezzer couldn’t help but snort a laugh which immediately resulted in a grumbled “shut up” from Lunt.

         “She’s jus’...sociable and outgoing is all. I like that.”  
         “Mm- _hm_.”

         Lunt shot up his head at him with a pathetic glare, saying, “Don’t you have somethin’ you gotta do, boss?”

         Okay okay, he should stop. Lunt was starting to turn red. With a smile, Nezzer nodded and then retreated from the kitchen in order to allow him to cook in peace. Besides, that cute old couple was waiting for their pancake stack so patiently.

 

 

 

         And so Lunt kept seeing Cynthia every time on his way to work and mentioned doing so every time he entered Nezzer’s restaurant for another day of food preppin’. Heck, Cynthia even surprised both him and Nezzer by showing up for Sunday brunch. Nezzer had to admit, Cynthia was a pretty gorgeous pineapple. Wide, bright eyes, a charming smile, gold earrings hanging from her...uh...non-existent ears, and (from what he could tell when a playful “Hellooo! Is there a cute gourd that works here named Lunt?” came from her as soon as she entered the establishment) a cute voice to match.

         From the kitchen came a surprised though anxious whisper of, “Boss, _Boss_!”

         Nezzer said to Cynthia who took a seat at the counter stool, “I’ll be right there.”

         She beamed, winking. “Alright, _boss_.”

         On cue, there was a distressed sounding “nyee” going off in the kitchen.

         Well, time to save his employee.

         Nezzer politely squeezed through the other waiters, customers, and cashiers before finally reaching the double swinging doors and into the kitchen where Lunt was standing off to the side, sweating profusely (thankfully _nowhere_ near the food and drinks being prepared by fellow cooks). Amused, though he restrained the smile which wanted to show, he went straight to him.

         “Lunt?”  
         “Okay so I have a crush on her.”

         He raised a brow. “How big of a crush?”

         Lunt answered in an embarrassed whimper as his eyes darted off to the side, “A huge one.”

         Silence (well, as much silence as there could possibly be in a moderate restaurant kitchen anyway).

         “Wanna take your break now and hang out with her?”

         His eyes shot up at Nezzer and his offer, taken back. “Wait, really?”

         Nezzer smiled sincerely. “If you want.”

         A blush crept onto the decorative gourd’s face as he said with a grin, “Thanks, boss.”

         “Use those handsome brown eyes of yours. That should help you.”  
         “Way ahead of ya.”

         Lunt went past his boss and out the doors while Nezzer chuckled. He sure got cute whenever he acted like this. Besides, it was nice seeing the odd fella happy. As Nezzer helped out from behind the counter with the bills being paid, his purple eyes would glance over to the counter where a chattering Lunt and a laughing Cynthia sat side by side.

         He wasn’t for certain if he heard it clearly, but Nezzer could’ve sworn he heard Cynthia laugh out a sweet, “You sure are something else, cutie.”

         ...well, considering how Lunt sat up in his seat, face turning completely red and then coughed as a method to clear his throat, he was possibly right.

         ‘ _Good luck_ ,’ Nezzer mentally wished Lunt. Yeah he was a bit lazy, a bit...uh, colorful, but if truth be told, Lunt was a good guy. He deserved it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         “You’re moving _in_ with her?”  
         “Yeah, she was hintin’ it after her housemate moved out last month. She felt lonely.”

         Lunt took a sip of his whipped cream and caramel-covered frappuccino while Nezzer blinked at the story, still not touching the hot coffee he prepared himself.

         “Your parents…”

         Lunt looked up to him. “They’re happy for me. They got to meet her a few times already, so it’s not like she’s a stranger to ‘em.”

         “Huh.” He finally took a sip.

         The time, Nezzer could vividly remember, was an hour before Pancake House would open. A few of the other employees were there also having a small breakfast before it was time to work, some by themselves, others sitting at a booth or counter with associates. Just like every other day, Lunt sat with him. (Guess it was worth admitting that Lunt liked him more than just a boss. Heck, he liked Lunt too.)

         Not only did Lunt drop that announcement on him, he also had another one to tell him.

         “We’re dating.”

         Nezzer almost missed his mouth with his coffee, but managed not to spill even a single drop onto his chin, shirt, or jacket. “Datin’?”

         He beamed and then sighed happily, “Datin’.”

         “Well, I’m happy for you, Lunt. How’s it been so far?”  
         “Pretty great. Loves using cutesy pet names for me.”

         If it was anything god-awful like ‘shmoopie’ or ‘poopsie’, Nezzer wasn’t sure he could handle it without laughing into a coughing fit and possibly peeving the small gourd across from him.

         Nezzer took the plunge. “Care to give an example?”

         Lunt flinched in his seat, his face filling up with heat. _Should_ he? Should he _really_ tell him one of the many names he used for Cynthia? He took another sip of his frappuccino, boy did he need it, and then leaned over the booth table, lowering his voice, “Honey buns.”

         “Honey...wha?”  
         “Honey...buns.”  
         “I still can’t hear you.”

         Lunt sighed for the second time that day before he, at last, said as loud and calmly as he could muster, “ _I CALL HER HONEY BUNS_.”

         Once the snickers and giggles began from the other employees, Lunt slammed his head down onto the table with an embarrassed groan. Nezzer, meanwhile, found himself only chuckling at the pet name. That was a cute one!

         It was Nezzer’s turn to lean across the table as he matched Lunt’s vocal volume from earlier, asking, “I take it she calls you similar things?”

         And all Lunt replied with was a muttered, “... _yes_ …”

         “Let me guess... _buttercup._ ”  
         “ _Nyeeeh…_ ”  
         “Thought so.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Another thing that Nezzer remembered was Cynthia dropping by at the end of Lunt’s shift to pick him up in a pretty sweet convertible. Apparently, Lunt bought that car for her as a belated birthday gift. This went on for approximately...three months? Yeah, three months. It felt kinda lonely not having Lunt in the car with him what with how he used to drop the small man off at his home. Sure, it was also nice having a quiet ride home after a long day of work, but, anyway...

         From outside the restaurant entrance, Cynthia call out, “Baby, I’m here!”

         Nezzer laughed lightly, peering through the window at the sight. He looked over his shoulder to the kitchen.  “Your honey buns is here, Lunt.”

         Lunt responded in a flat tone, “That’s _Mister_ Lunt.”

         The sound of Lunt grunting, possibly removing the apron he donned, could be heard going on for a few seconds. The man in question emerged soon enough with the apron draped over his shoulder and two Styrofoam containers in his hold. “She wanted somethin’ to eat from here,” he explained with a shrug.

         “Want me to walk you out?”  
         “Aw, that’s sweet of you, Boss. Sure, why not.”

 

 

         “There you are, buttercup,” Cynthia immediately said with a glamorous smile upon seeing Lunt exit the establishment with Nezzer, “I was starting to worry!”

         “Sorry about that, baby,” Lunt apologized and ignored the small “pffbt” from Nezzer. “Had to clean myself up.”

         “Well I’m glad you did that! After all, we’ve gotta go meet up with my parents!”

         Lunt’s face fell. “What? I thought we were gonna do that Sunday since I get tired after work…”

         “C’mon, it’ll only be an hour.” Cynthia leaned forward with her big brown eyes fluttering. “ _Pleeeease_?”

         “But--”  
         “ _Just_ an hour. You can handle that, can’t you?”

         Nezzer wondered if he should speak up. After all, Lunt _did_ work his gourd-butt off today since it was All You Can Eat Pancakes Day. Not even several cups of coffee during his break assisted with his energy. Heck, it might have made things worse with a caffeine crash. He glanced to Lunt who was probably thinking on what to say next.

         “Yeah, I guess I can.”

         Nezzer’s eyes shot to Lunt with furrowed brows. “But Lunt--”

         “No worries, Boss,” Lunt assured him as he got into the passenger seat, “it’s just an hour. See ya tomorrow.”

         “Well, alright. See you,” he responded, ignoring the small worry bubbling in his stomach. After all, sleep was important. He didn’t want the small gourd to be a half-dazed zombie during tomorrow’s shift. Granted, it wouldn’t be the first time that would’ve happened, but…

 

 

 

         When the following day arrived, Lunt was already at the counter with some coffee, bags under his eyes. Before Nezzer had the chance to ask, Lunt muttered, “Pretty sure we were with her parents for _four_ hours…”

         Nezzer frowned. “Take a nap in my office,” he told him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

         It seemed like Lunt was tired nearly every shift -- “nearly” because there were a handful of days he was wide awake. What on earth could be going on, Lunt didn’t say...or, whatever he _did_ say was a single sentence. “Cynthia wanted to go out to this club” or “Cynthia wanted to get a new car, so we went car shoppin’ for a bit”...the list went on.

         Guess Cynthia enjoyed going from place to place, but something about this wasn’t settling with the large man.

**_Honk hoooonk!_ **

         “Buttercup, I’m here!”

         A sigh escaped through Lunt’s nostrils before he allowed his head to bonk against the cool bathroom mirror. God, no matter how much coffee he consumed, he couldn’t revive his stamina to even stand up straight. His brown eyes looked at his reflection staring back at him.

         “Lunt?”

         He jumped with a small, mute gasp. He turned to the door and, unsurprisingly, Nezzer was there. “Oh…’ey, Boss.”

         He approached Lunt with timidly. “You two aren’t going anywhere tonight, are you?”

         All he did was shrug with a sleepy grin. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we did.”

         Nezzer frowned at this. “ _Mister_ Lunt, as your boss and someone who’s starting to feel a bit...concerned about your fatigue, I think you should go straight home and sleep.”

         “Aw, c’mon, I don’t wanna disappoint her.”  
         “Lunt--”

**_Honk hoooonk!_ **

         “Anyway, better hurry. See ya tomorrow.”

         “Wait,” Nezzer had to speak up, which magically made Lunt pause from leaving, “could you at least consider it? You’re beginning to not look well at all.”

         An audible sigh from Lunt’s nose could be heard, shoulders slumping for a moment. He looked to Nezzer and, with another shrug, responded, “I will, but what kinda boyfriend would I be if I told her I didn’t wanna do somethin’ she wanted?”

         What?

         His brows knitted together at the comment. ‘ _What on earth is he talking about?_ ’

         And in a flash, Lunt was out of the bathroom. When Nezzer finally exited as well, he saw Cynthia in a blue mustang convertible while his employee climbed into the passenger seat with a “hey honey”.

         Nezzer sighed through his nostrils.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Nezzer entered the kitchen to check up on everybody who worked this area, what with Sundays being rather busy.

         Hold on, where was Lunt?

         He gave Lunt a later shift today, but he should’ve been here by now!

         Nezzer went to a part-timer waitress as she lifted a tray of food from the table, inquiring, “Have you seen Lunt today, Maxie?”

         Maxie, a teen celery, looked to him and then shook her head. “Nah. He called in sick. Sounded like he had too much to drink though considering how slurred his words were...”

         Oh boy.

         He frowned a bit. “Did he now…”

         Well, the place was going to close in another two hours or so, might as well check up on him once everything’s taken care of here.

 

 

 

 

         Nezzer had been over at Cynthia’s place with Lunt the first few days when the gourd moved in with her (you know, to help with moving his stuff in), so he was able to drive from work in his simple sedan to the two-story tall townhouse which was nestled close to the downtown area.

         Once he pulled into the driveway, right behind the green...Mercedes-Benz?

         ...huh, where’s the blue car that Cynthia was in last night? He knew Lunt didn’t own a car since he didn’t know how to drive, so...whose car was this? Perhaps a visitor…

         Anyway, gotta check on Lunt.

         Who knows, maybe he was still trying to catch some “zzz”s and faked being sick over the phone.

         He approached the front door and then knocked three times. Seconds later, the door pulled back and there was a rather sickly Lunt staring up at him. _Yikes_ , he looked bad. Rings under his eyes, messy bundle of hair, kind of pale...the works.

         “ ‘ey Boss,” he greeted him with a small grin, though his voice was weak in tone. “Sorry I didn’t show up.”

         “It’s...alright,” he assured Lunt, shrugging slightly. “Lunt,” he started, “you look even worse than yesterday. What on earth happened?”

         Lunt shifted in place before he answered with a casual, “I forgot I promised Cynthia that I was gonna treat us dinner at Benny’s and stayed there a few hours, so...”

         “Benny’s? The bar and grill place?”  
         “Yep.”  
         “And you stayed there awhile?”  
         “Five hours to be precise.”

         Hold on, didn’t Maxie mention something about Lunt slurring his words?

         Nezzer’s brows scrunched. “You didn’t drink, did you?”

         Lunt fell quiet, uncharacteristically silent. He had a feeling Nezzer would ask that, and boy...he wasn’t going to like the answer. There was a short puff of air coming from him, perhaps a sigh, before he told Nezzer, “A few shots of vodka, yeah.”

         Good grief, vodka?! It was one thing if he had beer or wine, but something powerful like vodka while in that state?

         “ _Lunt_ \--”  
         “I know, I know...bad idea, but I couldn’t chicken out from drinking. Yesterday was special, man!”

         “How so?”  
         “Seventh month anniversary.”

         “Lunt,” he said, “your health is more important than an anniversary. Did you even tell Cynthia you weren’t feeling well last night?”

         Lunt bluntly responded, “No.”

         This didn’t feel right. Lunt wasn’t the type to speak up about things, so why didn’t Lunt behave this way when the small guy could hardly keep his dark brown eyes open or stay awake?

         “But Lunt, you shouldn’t let--”

         Suddenly, a preppy distant voice from the house called out, “Are you getting ready, buttercup? Concert’s in two hours and we should get there an hour early!”

         Lunt groaned before his head fell to the side and bonked against the doorway while Nezzer looked from the house and then to him worriedly. Timing...it sure did _suck_ when it wanted to.

         “Lunt,” Nezzer said, “you shouldn’t be going out like this.”

         “I don’t wanna disappoint her though.”  
         “But you’re sick!”

         “Nezzer, you…” Lunt paused, his eyes averting the purple ones staring at his form. “You don’t understand.”

         Nezzer quirked a brow. “What?”

         Lunt gestured him to back up and, once the tall man took a few hops back, moved forward while closing the door behind him. “Listen, I’ve never been in a relationship in my entire life,” he confessed. “I know it’s pretty pathetic considerin’ I’m in my mid-twenties ‘n’ all, but at least it finally _happened_. What I’m tryin’ to say is: I can’t tell her ‘no’. I don’t wanna ruin this relationship. Like...I _love_ her, Nezzer. What if she gets upset with me again if I end up cancelling our trip?”

         Aah, so that’s why he didn’t object any of Cynthia’s outing adventures. Poor fella wanted to keep her happy, but-- “Wait, what do you mean by her getting ‘upset’ again?”

         He fell quiet again, and boy...that worried Nezzer even more.

         “Lunt, please. Is there something going on that you’re not telling me?”

         All Lunt did was shake his head mutely just as the door behind him swung open. The two turned their attention back to it and, of course, Cynthia was there.

         She immediately spoke, “Buttercup c’mon, make sure to get your check before we head out--” the young lady’s voice trailed off once she finally noticed Nezzer present. In an instant, she beamed a grin up at him. “Oh my gosh, Mister Nezzer! It’s been a while since you’ve been here!”

         “Hi Cynthia,” Nezzer said with a small, uncertain smile. “I heard that you and Mister Lunt are going somewhere tonight.”

         “You’re right! We’re going to a concert, followed by some late night dinner.”  
         “Oh...but, Lunt doesn’t seem okay enough to--”

         But Lunt was swift to interrupt the huge man before he had even a sliver of a chance to tell Cynthia about his condition, turning to her, “eat at a plain ol’ restaurant. Wanna head to that movie grill that’s on the way home instead?”

         Nezzer shot him a look, but Cynthia was busy staring at Lunt to notice.

        Cynthia blinked.  “Really? We should go cash in your check now so we can get it out of the way! Get dressed.”

         Lunt tugged at the collar of the blue dress shirt he donned, looking at it and then back to the pineapple lady. “But I am _dressed_ \--”

         “Sweetie, _no_.” She shook her head with a grimace. “That’s too plain! Don’t you have something else to wear?”

         “This is the best I’ve got though--”  
         “I doubt it. Check the closet again.”  
         “But I already checked--”

         Again, she interrupted him with a sharp, but still sweet-sounding, “ _Buttercup_...just try again. You don’t want us to be late for the seating, do you?”

         It was weird seeing Lunt clam up so easily, it was even weirder when the short gourd gave Nezzer a neutral look through his sleep-deprived (and maybe hungover) face before saying almost quietly, “See ya tomorrow, boss.” He brushed past Cynthia on his way back into the house.

         Well...now he was alone with Cynthia.

         Now what?

         “Say, Cynthia…” he decided to ask, “what happened to that nice car you were in yesterday?”

         She blinked. “Oh, that old thing? I didn’t like it, so I had Lunt come with me to pick a better looking car. Cost quite a pretty penny,” she added with a wink, “but it was worth it, if you ask me.”

         “And the red car I saw you in months ago?”  
         “Same reason. Gosh, they don’t make cars like they used to. But on the other hand, they’re energy-efficient, so…”

         Loud coughing from the house suddenly grabbed the attention of them in an instant. They had a feeling they knew who that could’ve been, much to Nezzer’s worry nagging him.

         Cynthia sucked her teeth and then frowned with her doe eyes shooting up the stairs which lead to the second floor. “Not again,” she murmured under her breath. “He better have done that in the bathroom this time…”

         If he wasn’t worried enough for Lunt, Nezzer certainly was now from what -- he could’ve sworn -- he heard coming from that pretty woman’s mouth.

         ...okay, time to try telling her.

         “Maybe you should make him stay home,” he suggested with care. “He seems to be under the weather.”

         She spun to him, blinking. “What?”

         Nezzer looked into her eyes, explaining, “Lunt is _sick_ , Cynthia. He was already starting not to feel well at work yesterday, and now he seems worse. Could you please make him stay at home tonight?”

         Boy, if she had arms, she would’ve crossed them. “Are you sure you’re not just saying that so he can go back to work? You’re his boss, after all.”

         “I’m also his _friend_ and have been for almost five years.”

         Cynthia was silent while more coughing could be heard coming from upstairs. Her eyes trailed to the comfy interior and then to Nezzer.

         She smiled.

         “He’ll be fine. Anyway, I need to go check on him. We’ll see you tomorrow, Mister Nezzer! Bye!”

         Nezzer opened his mouth to say something else…

         ...only for the door to close on him.

 

 

 

         The drive home felt unnerving, for Nezzer continued to worry for his friend’s state. Heck, he worried about Cynthia. Something was occurring behind closed doors, he was sure of it. He just didn’t know what it could _be_.

         He sighed in defeat and flicked on the car radio.

         [ _Why do you build me up, buttercup baby?_ _  
_ _Just to let me down. (Let me down.)_ _  
_ _And mess me around._   
         And worst of all (worst of all)-- ]

         Out of all of The Foundation songs to play, and his favorite oldies station had the nerve to play “Build Me Up, Buttercup”. Nezzer immediately turned the knob to another station for now.

         “I could always call him when I get home,” he assured himself. “He always carry that cellphone of his everywhere.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Three voicemail messages, several texts, and a day later…

         Nothing.

         “Mister Nezzer?”

         Nezzer jumped in restaurant booth seat upon an innocent voice speaking up without warning. He turned to see Maxie staring at him, wearing her school jacket with a worried look on her young face. “Oh, Maxie. You’re leaving?”

         She tilted her head. “Well, yeah. It’s one in the afternoon...y’know, when the restaurant closes.”

         Good grief, it was closing time already and still no word from Lunt. He called yesterday to say he couldn’t come to work, but today...not even a call to here, announcing he was unable to work. The worry which had subsided a little as he slept returned to Nezzer.

         Maxie noticed her boss’ own worried stare which was directed off to the side. Timidly, she said, “Mister Nezzer…? Is it about Mister Lunt?”

         Nezzer rose from the booth with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what to do about him. Visited him yesterday, and…” he trailed off. Gosh, he shouldn’t worry himself to where _he’d_ get sick as well, but he couldn’t help himself. “Well,” he finally said out loud, “he was sick alright. I’m worried something happened to him overnight.”

         “Maybe his parents know.”  
         “...you have a point. Good thinking, Maxie.”

 

 

 

         Unfortunately, as Nezzer would later find out via phone call, neither Ma nor Pop heard from their only child last night. After that, he drove to Cynthia’s

         ...and as he got closer to the house, he saw a male carrot leaving the house. Cynthia poked her head out and faintly -- to Nezzer anyway -- chimed, “Bye, baby! Love you! See you tomorrow! Kisses~!”

         Nezzer stopped the car (which was convenient since he was at a red light). “ _Baby…?_ ”

         Oh no.

         Oh, no no no _no_ …

         Cynthia soon exited the townhouse, climbed into the blue Mercedes-Benz, pulled out of the driveway, and then departed.

         The traffic light turned green.

         He bit his lip. Oh, how he hoped Lunt was there now. He had another reason why he needed to talk to him.

 

 

 

         “Lunt? Lunt, are you in?”

         He knocked at the door again.

         “Lunt?”

         Nezzer frowned after being greeted with silence on the other side of the door. He had been knocking at this darn thing for a bit and _still_ nothing! Where on earth could Lunt be? His parents said they’ve heard nothing from him, there were no replies to the texts Nezzer sent, and not a single missed call from the gourd in question.

         This was concerning, oh so concerning.

          _“See ya tomorrow, boss.”_

         Nezzer let his head fall forward and conk against the door, sighing. “Where could that boy be?”

         ...maybe he was finally getting some sleep upstairs?

         Yeah, that could be it. Lunt was, at long last, getting the much needed sleep he was restricted from. He could only hope.

         With that pitiful assurance repeating in his head, Nezzer headed back to his sedan and drove away from the townhouse with dread intertwining with worry. Soon, two days passed, and Lunt’s condition was a mystery.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Good thing he stepped out of the shower sooner than expected, because Nezzer’s home phone was ringing. Unwrapping the towel from his head, Nezzer looked to the caller id and was surprised to see the name “Bob Tomato” on it. He picked up the phone with one “hand”, so to say, and cradled it against his ear, using his shoulder.

         “Bob?”

         Immediately, a familiar voice chirped, _“Oh, hi Mister Nezzer! I’m not calling late, am I?”_

         Nezzer’s purple eyes glanced up at the black cat wall clock. Wow, eight at night so soon? He replied, “Not really. What’s going on with you? Still in college?”

         Bob laughed bashfully. _“Funny you should mention school, because...I’m actually graduating next month. I’m planning on moving back once I’m done!”_

         Man, can’t believe this was the same Bob who attended the same community college as he did two years ago. That tiny tomato was a bundle of anxiety wrapped up into a living being. Probably still was, but not as much. Nezzer couldn’t help but smile at his announcement.

         “Well, I’m proud of you, Bob.”  
_“Oh, and...I was thinking about doing a special project once we’re settled at home. I’m not sure about the full details yet, but we’ll figure it out.”_  
         “Who’s ‘we’?”

          _“Well…”_ his voice trailed off for a few seconds before returning to normal, _“someone that I knew from a few years back is moving in with me. We took the same theater class together then and have practically been inseparable at the university.”_

         He raised his brows. “Ooh, I see.”

_“Oh, um, how’s everything there with you and Lunt?”_

         The smile faded.

 _“...Mister Nezzer?”_  
         “Well, Lunt’s been in a relationship for almost a year, but...I feel like something’s not right about it.”  
          _“Like...how?”_

         He sighed. “Outside of her possibly cheating on him, she doesn’t seem to care about his well-being. Pretty sure that’s why he’s been so...drained at work.”

         Bob asked, “Where is he now?”

         “That’s the problem,” Nezzer answered as his eyes glanced to his cellular phone which shared the end table with his home phone, “nobody knows. He’s been living with his girlfriend since they hooked-up, so there’s a chance he’s trying to get his energy back--”

         His cell phone lit up the same time as the default “text message” ringtone played.

         Lunt’s name flashed up.

         “...he just text me.”  
_“Oh...really?”_

         Nezzer picked up the cell phone and checked his inbox. At once, his eyes flared. He said into his home phone, “Bob, I’m sorry, but I need to go. I’ll call you later...”

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_[ Boss, I'm at the dinner. Could you meet me here? ]_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 

         The drive to the restaurant went by in a flash to Nezzer. Admittedly, he _might_ have went a wee bit above the speed limit, but for now...further more thoughts in regards about it would have to be put aside.

         Nezzer remembered the bright stars shimmering in the sky along with the full moon when he climbed out of the car and made his way to the backdoor of the building.

         Lunt said he’d leave the door unlocked for him, so Nezzer wasn’t surprised at all when he pulled it open and was greeted with warm air striking his chilled face.

         Wait, was that...the smell of pancakes and fresh brewed coffee?

         Yep, Lunt was definitely here, and that made Nezzer feel a mixture of relief and urgency as he finally hopped inside, allowing the door to automatically shut behind him.

         He passed by the janitorial closet, the employee bathrooms, the break room, and entered the kitchen. Although none of the dishes and other cooking supplies appeared to be undisturbed, Nezzer could smell the remains of something being prepared in here not long ago. Aah, what a nice scent…

         He went into the dining area and, there at the counter was Lunt with a fork-full of cut pancakes in his mouth, a mug of coffee to his right, and wearing a heavy brown jacket over a dress-shirt. Thank goodness, he looked a lot better than the last time he saw him...

         Wait a second, was that an eye-patch over Lunt’s left eye?

         The gourd lifted his head and saw his boss. He couldn’t stop himself from grinning, even as Nezzer took notice of his face. “ ‘ey, boss. Sorry I haven’t been answerin’ your calls. I was sleepin’ like a baby and had to do some other stuff on the side.”

         Nezzer was mute for a few seconds; however, he soon went around the counter and took a seat beside Lunt with a grunt. Another plate of food was present, along with a second cup of coffee.

         “I made some for you to make up for disappearin’ a few days. You’re my boss, after all.”  
         “Your health is more important, Lunt.”  
         “...wish Cynthia thought that.”

         Lunt swallowed the food and then sipped at his coffee. Nezzer, in the meantime, felt the familiar uneasiness upon hearing Lunt’s comment a second ago.

         Oh no, did things turn even more sour?

         “Lunt,” Nezzer questioned, “what happened?”

         Silence.

         Lunt sat his cup down and then grabbed his fork again. “She made me go to the concert,” was his answer, a rather short one which disappointed Nezzer. His right eye avoided looking at the large man beside him and continued doing so as he ate some more food.

         Nezzer frowned at this. “But you were sick…”

         Muffled, “I know. Didn’t stay long at least.”  
         “And why’s that?”  
         “...”  
         “Lunt.”

         He had a feeling Nezzer was going to beg him soon if he wasn’t more descriptive about everything which went on. Sure sounded like it in the tone of his voice. Mentally, he sighed. “To make a long, dramatic story short: When we got to the concert hall, I went to the bathroom real quick, went back to where we were seated, and saw Cynthia snogging with someone else. She noticed me right when I decided to leave and went after me. Uh, hang on.”

         Lunt paused to grab his coffee and down the remainder of it while Nezzer bit the side of his lip at the info that was dumped so far.

         “Was it...a carrot guy?”

         Lunt ignored the stinging sensation that began upon hearing that inquiry and sat his cup down. “Saw ‘im?”

         Nezzer sighed, nodding. “I drove by the house and saw him leaving.”

         “You’re lucky you didn’t have to smell the gross cologne.”  
         “...”

         “Anyway,” Lunt continued, trying to stay calm, “I...dunno why, but I was stupid enough to confront her about what was goin’ on with her and that guy. She got upset and said I was being’ hysterical. Told her I was gonna take the bus home since I could hardly stay awake anyway, started walking off, but then she turned me around, and…”

         He lost his voice.

         He felt...shame? Why? Why the heck did he feel ashamed? Is it because Cynthia apparently saw someone else on the side and felt used.

         Heat was rising to his face, and dang...Nezzer’s silence wasn’t exactly making the situation any better.

         “ _Please_ don’t tell me that’s how you’ve got that patch on your eye.”

         Crap.

         All he could do was shrug. “Maybe? I don’t remember much after that, ‘cause suddenly I woke up in a hospital. Nurse told me I was asleep for, like, a day. I had to stay a bit longer ‘cause of ‘severe eye trauma’. They didn’t go into much detail, or I wasn’t paying attention.”

         Nezzer felt his stomach drop, possibilities of how Lunt wound-up in the hospital in the first place running amuck in his head. “Did you just get out of there?”

         He nodded.

         “Oh...Lunt, I’m so sorry.”  
         “...it’s fine. Not the first time she did somethin’ to me.”

         Nezzer cried out, “What?!”

         But instead of going into details about that, Lunt sniffed. “Anyway, boss--uh...Nezzer, I kinda found myself without a home, so to speak. When I got out of the hospital, I went by her place, only to find out she stashed away my things and won’t tell me _where_. Told me she wanted me to live elsewhere and if I ever come near her house again, she’s callin’ the cops on me.”

         He finally glanced to Nezzer.

         “Mind you, I’m kinda tellin’ you the ‘clean’ version of what she said. Trust me, she’s vulgar, man.”  
         “I’m guessin’ you haven’t told Ma and Pop yet.”  
         “Pretty much. Don’t wanna worry ‘em.”

         Lunt sighed; although Nezzer took notice of how...well, shaky it seemed. Both men fell quiet for a while with only the sound of cars passing by as ambient noise.

         Good Lord, this was his first time in a romantic relationship, and it ended like this. A rather bad case scenario. God only knew what was going through Lunt’s head as he sat there, looking at his now empty plate.

         Nezzer knew he had to do something.

         “...wanna live with me?”

         Lunt’s uninjured eye trailed to Nezzer. The large fella had a small hopeful smile on his face and faced his body towards him. He looked away momentarily, but then returned to Nezzer with a shrug. “I...guess.” Slowly, he hung his head and then sighed once more. “Hey, uh...thanks for doing this, Nezzer.”

         A final sigh came from him along with a shudder.

         Nezzer could see something drip from the side of his face, the portion that wasn’t covered with an eye-patch. Boy, did it hurt seeing this. He said gently, “It’s no problem at all. C’mon, let’s head home. Okay…?”

         He nodded a few times, responding also with a weak, “Yeah.”

 

 

 

 

         Nezzer poked his head into the bedroom once he changed into his purple spotted pajamas. “Lunt, I still you should use the bathroom before going to bed. It might help you relax--...” he paused when he noticed a familiar gourd snoring away on the left portion of his bed, wearing one of Nezzer’s extra pajamas, “...some.”

         He sighed through his nose, but wasn’t bothered by this.

         “He got out of the hospital today, so he probably took one there before he left.”

         Nezzer crept to the other side of the bed, hoping he didn’t wake up Lunt as he did so. Nope, still snoring. He climbed into the large bed (hey, he was on the “big” side, he needed it) and then kicked off his bunny slippers.

         “...hope I don’t roll over on him,” he muttered out loud before he finally laid down beside Lunt.

         He blinked, his purple eyes glancing to the man beside him. Nezzer’s eyes softened.

         “Goodnight, Lunt.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         “Hey...hey…”

         Oh boy. What time was it?

         “Wake up, I gotta tell ya somethin’.”

         Nezzer groaned, finally giving in to opening his eyes. It was a regular occurrence, but he was still taken aback a little upon seeing Lunt sitting (or was he standing?) on top of his body like he was a darn cat, looking down at him with his mismatched eyes. “...what is it, Lunt?”

         “We’re outta milk,” Lunt told him.

         ...how did the two of them live together for this long again? Even when Lunt was able to pick himself up and worked a better paying job?

         “Still made breakfast though...sorta.”  
         “Really now? It better not be something weird again.”

         Lunt sucked his teeth at that. “Y’think _anything’s_ weird. Anyway c’mon, breakfast. Oh, and milk...we’re outta that.”

         Nezzer rolled his eyes, sitting up, causing Lunt to yelp and fall back on the bed. “Okay okay.”

 

 

 

 

         “Oh...so _this_ is why we’re out of milk.”

         From the stove as he flipped another pancake, Lunt responded, “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. Wanted to make a lot of stuff that needed it, so... _that_ happened.”

         ‘ _That_ ’ referred to the piles of scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, some sort of pie, and...tiramisu sitting in front of him at the kitchen table. As a side note, Nezzer blamed that Starbucks Lunt always went to for the tiramisu being there. What on earth was the occasion for everything? What’s even more baffling was that Lunt was still making another pancake or two!

         “But,” Nezzer spoke up, quirking a brow at the man, “why?”

         “...forgot what today is?”  
         “Today? Why, I’m not sure what today could be…”

         What Lunt said next, stirred a sensation in Nezzer’s chest.

         “It’s been five years since I’ve moved in with you. So, I...”  
         “... _oh_ …”

         Lunt became oddly quiet as he flicked off the burner and placed the final pancake upon the small tower which sat patiently at the table. “Y--y’know, I wanted to do somethin’ for you is all. Not much, but...”

         Ah.

         ...okay...Nezzer had to make sure Lunt didn’t notice his eyes were tearing up by the gesture, so he quickly picked up the cup of coffee sitting to the right of him and began to down the strong brew.

         “Whoa, careful big fella...coffee’s still hot,” he heard Lunt say from beside him. “Don’t wanna scorch your mouth. Ain’t a good feelin’.”

         Wait, hold on. Was Nezzer...blushing?!

         Slowly, a sly, toothy grin came to Lunt’s face. His former boss must’ve been moved by all of this. How sweet. Instead of saying anything, or pointing it out to Nezzer, Lunt let out a tiny laugh which was mixed with a giggle before finally paying attention to his own breakfast.

         ‘ _Thanks, boss._ ’

 

 

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**end**

**Author's Note:**

> Now if you'll excuse me, I need to write something on the happier side...or finally update that "Dormancer" story. Whichever comes first.


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